.YVA  V'jCC  '  /' 

Present  Condition 

OF  THE 

Foreign  Mission  Work 

OF 

American  Friends. 


Girls’  Training  Home,  at  Ramallab,  Palestine. 


PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  THE 
FOREIGN  MISSION  WORK 
OF  AMERICAN  FRIENDS. 


The  Paper  of  Mahalah  Jay, 

Read  at  the  Five-Years  Meeting  of  Friends, 
held  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  in  October,  1902. 


Nicholson  Printing  &  Mfg.  Cc. 
Richmond,  Indiana. 

1903. 


Mission  Residence  and  Printing  Office  at  Victoria,  Mexico. 
(Samuel  A.  Purdie  and  wife  on  the  balcony.) 


PRESENT  CONDITION 


OP 

% 

The  Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 


Foreign  Mission  work  in  the  form  now  exemplified  in  all 
the  Yearly  Meetings,  of  locating  missionaries  in  foreign  fields 
to  reside  among  the  people  and  teach  them,  is  a  thing  of  but  a 
few  years’  trial  by  American  Friends. 

Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  was  the  first  to  establish  such 
work.  Samuel  A.  Purdie  and  wife,  first  of  this  class  of  mis¬ 
sionaries,  entered  Mexico  in  1871,  scarcely  thirty-one  years 
ago.  They  began  work  at  Matamoros,  in  the  State  of  Ta- 
maulipas.  The  work  of  this  Yearly  Meeting  in  Mexico,  has 
been  nearly  all  within  this  State,  and  has  been  conducted 
mainly  on  three  lines  —  the  press,  the  school  and  the  church. 
A  religious  monthly  paper  was  started  in  1872,  and  is  still 
issued  from  the  mission  press.  It  goes,  in  small  numbers,  to 
every  Spanish-speaking  country  on  the  globe,  including  all 
important  Spanish  speaking  islands.  School  books  and  other 
books  and  tracts  in  large  numbers  have  been  prepared  or  trans¬ 
lated  and  printed  at  the  mission  aud  circulated  among  the 
people,  some  years  as  many  as  a  million  pages.  It  still  is  a 
very  effective  arm  of  the  service,  though  less  of  this  work  is 
now  done.  Last  year  270,000  pages  only  were  issued. 

Schools  were  started  from  the  first  in  a  small  way  ;  the 
girls’  school,  later  known  as  Hussey  Institute,  at  Matamoros, 
has  been  continuous  for  twenty-nine  years.  Preparations  are 
now  being  made  in  Victoria  for  a  school  of  higher  grade  and  a 
Bible  Institute  for  young  men.  A  building  is  provided,  a 
qualified  northern  teacher  is  on  the  ground  and  the  school 
opens  this  fall. 


6 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 


The  Gospel,  preached  with  power,  has  won  many  to  Christ 
in  the  years  since  the  founding  of  the  mission.  Meetings  have 
been  gathered  in  many  places.  Seven  monthly  meeting  have 
been  set  up.  Six  Mexicans  of  intelligence,  and  filled  with  the 
Holy  Spirit,  have  been  recorded  Ministers  of  the  Friends’ 
Church.  These  all  continued  faithful ;  some  have  finished 
their  work  on  earth,  others  labor  on.  Other  preachers  and  ex- 
horters  are  recognized  workers  in  the  mission.  The  church 
membership,  within  reach  of  Friends’  meetings,  now  is  less  than 
five  hundred. 


Hussey  Institute,  Matamoros,  Mexico  —  Built  1885. 


The  mission  has  three  buildings  at  Matamoros  —  a  church, 
a  school  building,  and  Hussey  Institute  ;  cost  of  this  property, 
$ 10,000 .  At  Victoria  there  is  the  printing  establishment  and 
missionaries’  home,  a  building  for  the  Young  Men’s  School, 
and  a  meeting-house  not  yet  completed  ;  estimated  cost  of  all 
these,  $ 10,000  more.  Five  missionaries  from  the  United  States 
are  now  in  the  field.  About  $7,200  have  been  raised  in  Indiana 
Yearly  Meeting  the  past  year  for  foreign  missions. 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends 


7 


Arthur  H.  Swift.  H.  Alma  Swift. 

IOWA  YEARLY  MEETING. 

Iowa  Yearly  Meeting  began  missionary  work  in  the  Island 
of  Jamaica,  West  Indies,  in  1883.  Its  work  is  among  two  dis¬ 
tinct  classes  of  people  —  the  colored  population  born  upon  the 
island,  and  the  coolies,  or  people  from  the  East  Indies,  brought 


A  Scene  in  Jamaica 


8 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  A merican  Friends. 


Captain  L.  D.  Baker,  the  generous  benefactor  of  Friends’ 
missions  in  Jamaica  and  Cuba. 


there  as  laborers,  and  their  children.  These  last,  especially, 
are  strictly  heathen  people.  The  work  has  expanded  from 
year  to  year,  till  now  they  report  twelve  missionaries  in  the 
field  at  two  principal  stations,  with  ten  out-stations,  three 
churches,  five  hundred  and  thirty  church  members,  and  an 
average  attendance  at  all  their  places  of  worship  of  seven  hun¬ 
dred  and  eighty  persons  each  Sabbath.  This  mission  has  a 
well-established  training-home  for  girls  and  is  opening  such  a 
home  for  boys,  and  there  is  a  large  number  of  day-scholars 
under  its  care.  Seventeen  buildings  belong  to  the  mission, 
viz.  :  Eight  meeting-houses,  four  school-houses,  three  mis¬ 
sion-homes  and  the  twro  training-homes.  The  value  of  all  this 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 


9 


property  is  reckoned  to  be  $  16,000.  The  mission  is  in  good 
condition,  and  the  prospects  encouraging.  The  interest  in  the 
work  is  increasing  in  Iowa  Yearly  Meeting.  It  reports  $5,700 
raised  this  year  for  foreign  missions. 

PHILADELPHIA  FRIENDS. 

Next  in  the  order  of  time  was  the  establishing  of  Friends’ 
mission  in  Tokio,  Japan,  in  1885,  by  the  Woman’s  Foreign 
Missionary  Association  of  Friends  of  Philadelphia.  They 
have  five  foreign  missionaries  in  Tokio  at  this  time,  and  two  at 
an  out-station  supported  by  another  board.  The  mission  is 
provided  with  good  buildings  for  the  meeting,  and  the  school 
and  the  homes  of  the  missionaries,  which  have  cost  $15,189, 
and  this  year  a  property  has  been  purchased  for  $1,200  at  Mito, 
an  important  sub-station  of  the  mission.  Mary  Morton  Haines, 
who  herself  was  for  some  years  a  missionary  in  Tokio,  writes : 

The  Foreign  Missionary  Association  of  Friends  of  Philadel¬ 
phia  is  thankful  to  report  much  blessing  to  have  rested  on  the 
work  in  Japan  during  the  past  five  years. 

Although  crippled  by  the  loss  of  our  faithful  pioneer  mis¬ 
sionaries,  Joseph  Cosand  and  his  wife,  the  work  so  well  started 
by  them  has,  in  the  main,  been  carried  on  by  those  who  have 
succeeded  them. 

At  the  main  station  under  our  care  in  Tokio  the  mission 
force,  consisting  of  Gilbert  and  Minnie  Pickett  Bowles,  Mary  A. 
Gundry  and  Edith  Dillon,  were  rejoiced  early  in  last  summer  to 
welcome  Sarah  Ellis,  who  went  to  aid  in  the  work  of  the  Girls’ 
School,  and,  as  way  opened,  in  the  general  work  of  the  mis¬ 
sion.  Gilbert  and  Minnie  Pickett  Bowles  have  their  home  in  the 
mission  residence,  which  is  close  to  the  Girls’  School,  where  a 
comfortable  home  is  provided  for  the  three  foreign  ladies  whose 
wrork  is  chiefly  in  the  school.  The  number  of  pupils  has  been 
larger  the  past  year  than  at  any  time  heretofore,  and  the  hearts 
of  the  teachers  rejoice  in  recording  fifty  pupils  in  average 
attendance,  nearly  all  of  whom  are  Christians. 

A  stone’s  throw  from  the  school  building,  and  right  on  the 
street,  stands  the  meeting-house,  with  seating  capacity  for  two 
hundred,  more  or  less.  Over  the  entrance  is  a  sign-board, 
bearing  the  text  John  xvii :  3,  “  This  is  Life  Eternal,  that  they 


IO 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends 


Mission  Residence.  Girls’  School  Building,  Tokio,  Japan. 

[This  commodious  School  Building  was  destroyed  by  fire,  Twelfth  Mo.  13th,  1902.] 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends.  n 

might  know  Thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
Thou  hast  sent.”  It  is  a  silent  witness  for  the  truth.  A 
remarkable  instance  lately  came  to  the  notice  of  our  workers  of 
the  conversion,  through  reading  this  text  as  he  passed  daily,  of 
a  dissolute  man.  Now,  rejoicing  in  his  Saviour,  and  desiring 
to  serve  Him,  he  is  endeavoring  to  earn  a  little  money  to  buy 
ground  to  set  up  a  sign-board  containing  some  of  the  gospel 
truths  so  precious  to  him.  This  he  wishes  to  place  near  the 
railroad  between  Tokio  and  Yokohama,  where  many  will  read 
the  Words  of  Life. 


Friends’  Meeting  House,  Tokio,  Japan. 

The  chief  out-station  in  connection  with  Friends’  work  in 
Japan,  is  Mito,  under  the  care  of  The  Woman’s  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  of  Canada  Yearly  Meeting. 

At  Tsuchiura  the  Meeting  and  First-day  School  are  kept  up 
by  resident  native  Christians,  encouraged  by  visits  from  the 
members,  Japanese  and  foreign,  of  the  Evangelistic  Committee. 

At  Ishioka,  an  earnest  and  gifted  Japanese  evangelist  is  in 
charge  of  the  work.  He  wrote  some  months  ago  :  “  Christian 


12 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 


work  seems  pretty  difficult ;  yet  by  and  by  their  attention  is 
coming  toward  Christianity,  I  believe.  I  am  praying  to  the 
Lord  to  get  His  preaching  power  at  present  and  in  future.” 

Since  the  disorganization  of  the  Society  of  Friends  in  1894, 
occasioned  by  the  National  vs.  the  Quaker  element  at  the  time 
of  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  war,  the  missionaries  have  not 
seen  their  way  clear  to  reorganize  under  the  name  of  Friends, 
but  the  church  work  is  carried  on  under  the  care  of  an  Execu¬ 
tive  Committee  composed  of  Japanese,  who  are,  in  belief  and 
practice,  true  Friends,  and  some  of  the  missionaries.  With 
this  organization  there  have  been  no  appointments  as  ministers 
made,  though  the  several  evangelists  working  with  us  have 
proven  themselves  true  gospel  ministers,  and  others  often  take 
part  acceptably  in  the  meetings. 

Tract  distributing,  translation  and  publication  of  books 
(Life  of  Stephen  Grellet,  of  Elizabeth  Fry,  of  George  Fox, 
Offices  of  Holy  Spirit  by  Dr.  Dougan  Clark,  etc.),  classes  for 
young  men  in  English  and  the  Bible,  cooking  and  Bible  classes 
for  the  women,  and  Bible  Women’s  house-to-house  visiting,  in 
addition  to  the  regular  meetings  and  First-day  School  work, 
and  the  Girls’  Boarding  School,  have  been  means  to  the  great 
end  of  bringing  souls  to  Christ  in  the  Sunrise  kingdom. 

KANSAS  YEARLY  MEETING. 

The  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting  fur¬ 
nished  the  following  account  of  their  mission.  Their  work  is 
among  the  Indians  of  Douglas  Island,  Alaska,  and  vicinity, 
less  than  one  thousand  in  number.  They  report  two  hundred 
church  members,  an  average  attendance  at  meeting  of  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  twenty-five,  and  two  hundred  in  the  Sabbath  School. 
The  mission  reaches  the  white  settlers  as  well  as  the  Indians. 
This  Yearly  Meeting  raised  $1,039  for  foreign  missions  this 
year. 

REPORT. 

The  Friends’  Mission  at  Douglas  Island,  Alaska,  which  is 
owned  and  managed  by  the  Friends’  Mission  Board  of  Kansas 
Yearly  Meeting,  was  founded  in  1887.  The  following  build¬ 
ings  are  at  this  station  :  The  mission  dwelling-home,  value 
$1,200  ;  church  building,  value  $1,800  ;  old  school-house,  value 


Foreign  Missio?i  Work  of  American  Friends.  13 

$300;  native  school-house  on  the  beach,  value  $200;  total, 
$3,500. 

There  is  also  at  the  sub-station  of  Takou  one  log  cabin  and 
a  new  tent.  Church  services  and  Sabbath  Schools  are  held  at 
Douglas  for  both  whites  and  natives,  and  a  day-school  has 
been  taught  by  a  missionary  teacher  about  seven  months  in  the 
year  for  several  years.  A  missionary  holds  meetings  and 
preaches  to  and  teaches  the  natives  at  Takou.  There  are  four 
missionaries  maintained  at  Douglas,  and  much  assistance  has 
been  given  at  Takou  harbor.  About  $1,400  annually  is  ex¬ 
pended  at  these  stations  by  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting. 


Teachers  at  Ramallah,  Palestine.  Katie  Gabriel  in  the  center. 


NEW  ENGLAND  YEARLY  MEETING. 

New  England  Yearly  Meeting,  after  contributing  to  the 
work  of  English  Friends  in  Syria  for  several  years,  in  1888 
took  separate  charge  of  the  mission  in  Palestine,  at  Ramallah, 
situated  a  few  miles  north  of  Jerusalem.  Besides  its  distinct¬ 
ively  Gospel  work,  its  main  features  have  been  its  medical 


14  Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Frie?ids. 

work  which  reached,  from  its  dispensary,  1,335  patients  the 
last  year  ;  and  its  training-home  and  school  for  girls,  now  hav¬ 
ing  thirty-four  inmates,  both  of  which  have  been  ably  man¬ 
aged  or  assisted  by  educated  native  workers  ;  and  its  seven  day- 
schools  in  neighboring  districts,  these  having  an  average  aggre¬ 
gate  attendance  this  year  of  150  pupils.  Thirty-six  church 
members,  one  hundred  and  fifty  adherents,  an  average  attend- 


Girlsof  the  Girls’  Training-Home,  Ramallah,  Palestine. 


ance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  at  meetings  for  worship, 
six  Sabbath  schools  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  scholars  are 
reported  this  year,  and  $6,499  raised  in  the  Yearly  Meeting  for 
foreign  missions.  Four  acres  of  land  are  held  by  a  clear  title 
from  the  Turkish  government,  upon  which  as  the  work  has 
broadened,  in  addition  to  the  mission  home  a  laundry  build¬ 
ing  has  been  erected,  walls  built,  stone  walks  laid,  two 
large  cisterns  dug,  and  in  1897  a  large  addition  built  to  the 
home  at  a  cost  of  $6,000,  making  the  whole  plant  valued  at 
$25,000.  Fast  year  an  important  and  much  needed  training- 
home  for  boys  was  opened.  Applications  were  far  in  excess  of 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  America?i  Friends . 


15 


accommodations,  even  though  a  nominal  fee  was  demanded 
toward  the  cost  of  training.  There  are  now  eighteen  carefully 
selected,  bright,  active  boys  in  this  home.  Both  girls  and  boys 
in  these  homes  are  trained  in  industrial  pursuits,  in  addition  to 
their  school  studies  and  daily  instruction  in  the  Bible. 


Boys  of  the  Boys’  Training-Home,  Ramallah,  Palestine. 


WESTERN  YEARLY  MEETING. 

Western  Yearly  Meeting,  after  assisting  Indiana  Yearly 
Meeting  for  several  years,  in  1889  established  a  mission  of  its 
own  at  Matehuala,  in  the  neighboring  Mexican  State  of  San 
Luis  Potosi.  The  mission  now  has  three  principal  stations, 
seven  foreign  missionaries  and  a  number  of  native  helpers. 
They  report  four  established  churches  and  a  church  member¬ 
ship  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight,  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
nine  pupils  in  schools,  and  $4,668  raised  in  the  Yearly  Meeting 
the  last  year  for  foreign  missions.  One  Quarterly  Meeting  of 
this  Yearly  Meeting  supports  two  missionaries,  husband  and 
wife,  at  Johannesburg,  South  Africa. 


1 6  Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 

The  following  account  of  their  Mexican  mission  is  pre¬ 
sented  by  a  member  of  their  Foreign  Mission  Board. 

Western  Yearly  Meeting  has  an  established  mission  at 
Matehuala,  Mexico  ;  owns  the  mission  property,  which  is  used 
for  home  for  missionaries,  school  and  printing  department,  also 
chapel  for  church  services  —  property  valued  at  $7,000;  also 
owns  buildings  at  Cedral,  used  for  the  same  purpose,  with  the 
addition  of  Medical  office  —  property  valued  at  $4,500. 

The  work  was  opened  at  Matehuala,  Eleventh  Mo.,  1888, 
at  Cedral  later,  and  the  last,  promising  station  of  Catorce  Real, 
was  opened  last  Fourth  month.  The  Medical  work  was  opened 
nearly  two  years  ago  and  has  made  rapid  progress  in  preparing 
the  way  for  the  reception  of  the  Gospel.  The  educational  and 
evangelistic  work  are  making  commendable  progress.  Each 
one  of  the  principal  stations  has  one  or  more  sub-stations,  where 
the  Gospel  is  preached,  and  at  one  point,  Ea  Paz,  a  church  and 
school  are  organized.  The  work  is  being  extended  into  many 
parts  of  the  field,  by  preaching,  distributing  literature,  and  the 
entrance  of  the  Bible  itself.  A  printing  press  is  owned  by  E.  M. 
Sein,  one  of  our  missionaries,  who  publishes  a  paper  called  El 
Catolico  Convertido ,  which  has  a  large  circulation,  and  is  a 
means  blessed  of  God  in  teaching  truths,  and  disclosing  the 
errors  of  Romanism.  Our  schools  are  taught  by  faithful,  con¬ 
scientious  teachers,  and  are  doing  satisfactory  work.  There  is 
increasing  desire  on  the  part  of  the  people  for  the  privilege  of 
sending  their  children  to  our  schools.  The  wide  range  covered 
by  the  medical  work,  bringing  numbers  under  the  influence  of 
the  Gospel,  the  number  of  young  men  who  have  come  to  learn 
the  “Way  of  Life,”  the  financial  aid  given  by  the  native  church 
in  meeting  current  expenses  and  also  in  relief  of  needs  sur¬ 
rounding  it,  are  tokens  of  increased  interest  and  life  —  all  due 
to  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  upon  every  effort  put  forth  in  His 
name.  To  Him  be  all  the  praise  ! 

OHIO  YEARLY  MEETING. 

Ohio  Yearly  Meeting  dates  the  founding  of  its  China  mis¬ 
sion  1890,  though  its  pioneer  missionary,  Esther  Butler,  had 
been  in  the  country  learning  the  language  and  the  conditions  for 
missionary  work,  in  the  mission  of  another  denomination  three 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  America?i  Friends. 


17 


years  before.  This  mission  has  two  principal  stations,  two 
churches,  eighty  church  members  and  five  hundred  adherents, 
one  boarding  school  and  three  day  schools. 


Group  of  Bible  Women  —  China. 

Ohio  Yearly  Meeting  has  also  a  successful  mission  in  Now- 
gong,  central  province  of  India,  conducted  by  four  women,  two 
supported  by  the  Ohio  Board  and  two  supported  from  other 
sources. 

The  Yearly  Meeting  reports  $11,000  given  for  foreign  mis¬ 
sions  this  year,  and  $3,900  given  outside  the  Yearly  Meeting; 
total,  $14,900  for  their  whole  foreign  work,  a  larger  amount 
than  usual,  being  increased  by  some  special  gifts  and  legacies. 
We  take  the  following,  in  regard  to  the  China  mission,  from 
Esther  Butler’s  report  on  the  subject : 

Friends’  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  Ohio  Yearly  Meet¬ 
ing  owns  three  and  one-half  acres  of  land  at  Nanking,  China, 


1 8  Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 

on  which  have  been  erected  three  large,  substantial  brick  build¬ 
ings —  Home,  Boarding  School,  and  Hospital.  Also,  there  is  a 
chapel  arranged  for  to  be  built  at  once.  The  actual  outlay  for 
land  and  buildings,  $8,900,  present  value  one-third  more.  The 
church  was  organized  in  1892  ;  the  girls’  boarding  school  and 
hospital  both  opened  in  1896.  For  the  years  1902  and  1903 
six  missionaries  are  resident  at  this  station. 

Full  Hoh  mission  station  was  opened  in  1898  ;  the  church 
organized  in  1900.  Property  owned  by  Society  —  one  small 
lot,  100  feet  deep,  36  feet  wide,  on  which  has  been  built  a  small 
semi  foreign  brick  house.  Cost  for  lot  and  building,  $758. 
Estimates  have  passed  the  Board  for  buying  land  and  erecting 
chapel  and  dispensary.  Five  missionaries  resident  at  this  sta¬ 
tion  for  1902  and  1903.  Four  other  buildings  are  rented  for 
the  use  of  chapels,  dispensaries  and  day  schools. 

The  work  has  been  providentially  opened  and  equipped  on 
lines  that  meet  the  three  great  demands  of  China  to-day  — 
educational,  medical,  and  evangelistic.  All  China  is  now 
asking  for  “Western  learning,”  and  having  finally  decided 
that  this  is  her  need,  rest  assured  she  will  have  it.  Great 
opportunities  are  given  us  to  help  in  Christian  education  and 
training  for  the  evangelization  of  China  by  her  own  people. 

The  medical  work  has  developed  and  enlarged  very  much 
since  the  troubles  of  1900.  The  five  thousand  who  have  re¬ 
ceived  medicine  at  the  dispensaries  is,  at  the  very  lowest  esti¬ 
mate,  but  half  the  number  that  have  heard  the  Gospel  through 
this  agency.  The  faithfulness  of  the  foreign  physicians  in 
staying  by  the  people  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives  during  the 
great  epidemic  of  cholera  that  visited  Nanking  the  past  sum¬ 
mer  has  been  greatly  appreciated  by  the  people,  and  is  telling 
in  a  most  fruitful  way  in  all  the  missions  at  that  place. 

The  crucial  tests  through  which  China  passed  in  1900  and 
the  supernatural  way  in  which  native  Christians  met  persecu¬ 
tion  and  death,  gave  to  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  a  reality 
and  power,  both  in  the  church  and  out,  that  she  had  not  felt 
or  known  before.  The  progress  of  Christianity  has  been  slow 
and  very  difficult,  but  the  records  of  1900  show  it  to  have  been 
sure.  The  “Son  of  Man  has  found  faith”  in  China. 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 


19 


OREGON  YEARLY  MEETING. 

Oregon  Yearly  Meeting’s  mission  is  on  Kaak  Island,  Alaska, 
which  has  a  population  of  400.  The  mission  was  opened  in 
1894.  They  have  now  a  church  of  fifty-four  members.  They 
recently  built  a  meeting-house,  the  natives  helping  to  the 
amount  of  $300  in  cash  and  labor.  At  its  dedication  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  thirty-one  natives  requested  membership.  The  mis¬ 
sionaries  write,  “We  think  best  to  hold  them  on  trial  for  a 
while  before  sending  their  names  in,  they  are  a  people  of  such 
emotional  natures.”  The  mission  has  a  comfortable  dwelling 
besides  the  church  building.  These  Indians,  like  nearly  all 
others  of  Alaska,  spend  only  the  winter  months  at  their  homes 
on  the  island,  the  rest  of  the  time  they  employ  in  hunting  and 
fishing  to  make  their  living. 

There  are  now  three  missionaries  in  the  field  most  of  the 
year.  The  amount  of  $Sio  is  reported  raised  this  year  for  for¬ 
eign  mission  work  by  Oregon  Yearly  Meeting. 


Robert  and  Carrie  M.  Samms. 

[Pioneer  missionaries  to  Kotzebue  Sound,  Alaska.] 


CALIFORNIA  YEARLY  MEETING. 

In  1897,  California  Yearly  Meeting  opened  a  mission  near 
Kotzebue  Sound,  Alaska,  far  north,  looking  out  toward  the 
Polar  Sea.  It  has  been  conducted  by  devoted  missionaries,  who 


20 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 


felt  called  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  the  few  benighted  inhabitants 
of  that  frozen  region,  the  dwindling  race  of  Eskimos.  The 
population  of  their  large  field  is  estimated  at  only  about  one 
thousand.  Three  missionaries  are  at  the  mission  at  present, 
one  of  them  sent  and  supported  by  another  Yearly  Meeting. 
The  missionaries  report  a  church  of  one  hundred  and  four 
members,  and  that  a  much  larger  number  usually  attend  the 
services  ;  two  Sabbath  schools  with  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  scholars,  and  two  other  schools. 


Kotzebue  Eskimo. 

The  Alaskan  nature  is  accessible,  teachable  and  responsive,, 
and  the  outlook  is  encouraging.  The  buildings  consist  of  a 
mission  home  of  five  comfortable  rooms,  a  school-house,  which 
serves  on  the  Sabbath  as  well,  and  a  warehouse.  The  interest 
in  the  home  land  is  well  sustained  and  means  sufficiently  sup¬ 
plied.  The  Yearly  Meeting  raised  $1,520  for  foreign  missions- 
this  year. 

OTHER  YEARLY  MEETINGS. 

Baltimore,  New  York,  North  Carolina,  Wilmington  and 
Canada  Yearly  Meetings  have  not  opened  separate  missions, 
but  help  in  one  or  several  of  those  of  other  Yearly  Meetings. 
It  is  not  that  these  Yearly  Meetings  do  not  take  equal  interest 
in  foreign  missions,  or  are  not  as  able  to  support  separate  work 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends 


21 


Dana  H.  and  Otha  C.  Thomas. 

[Missionaries  now  at  Kotzebue  Mission.] 

as  others,  but  some  of  them  at  least  have  thought  it  a  wiser 
policy  to  strengthen  existing  missions  with  their  means  than 


Scholars  of  Day-School  at  Jiffneh,  Palestine.  —  Baltimore  Yearly  Meeting. 


22 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  America?i  Frie?ids. 


to  start  weak  ones  of  their  own.  In  most  cases  they  do  some 
definite  part  in  the  missions  they  assist.  Accordingly, 

Baltimore  Yearly  Meeting  has  long  aided  Indiana  in 
the  Mexican  work,  supporting  one  while  a  boys’  school  and  at 
present  a  native  evangelist.  It  supports  a  traveling  secretary 
of  the  Japan  Scripture  Union,  and  a  girls’  day  school  in  con¬ 
nection  with  New  England’s  mission  in  Palestine,  besides  its 
numerous  smaller  or  special  gifts  to  other  work.  It  is  a  large 
contributor  to  the  work  of  the  American  Friends’  Board.  It 
reports  this  year  $2,129  for  foreign  missions. 

New  York  Yearly  Meeting’s  Board  assists  in  the  work 
of  four  Yearly  Meetings.  At  Victoria,  Mexico,  of  the  Indiana 
Yearly  Meeting  mission,  New  York  has  a  boarding  and  day 
school  for  girls,  Penn  Institute,  ninety  pupils,  two  foreign 
missionaries  and  three  native  teachers.  It  has  provided  its 
own  building  for  this  boarding  school.  The  property  is  valued 
at  $3,400.  New  York  also  aids  the  Ohio  Board  in  its  mission 
in  India,  and  supports  two  missionaries  at  Luh  Hoh,  China. 
It  supports  a  native  evangelist  in  Japan,  and  two  teachers  of 


Girls  of  Penn  Institute,  Victoria,  Mexico. 


Foreign  Missim  Work  of  American  Friends.  23. 

day  schools  in  Palestine.  Its  contribution  this  year  to  foreign 
mission  work  is  $4,206. 

North  Carolina’s  Foreign  Mission  Board  directs  its  ef¬ 
forts  principally  to  the  support  of  its  missionary,  Annie  V. 
Edgerton,  who  works  in  the  mission  of  the  Ohio  Board  in  India. 
She  went  out  the  last  of  the  year  1898,  and  has  proved  an 
efficient  worker  in  caring  for  the  thirty-two  orphans  at  the 
Nowgong  orphanage,  is  a  teacher  in  day  school  and  Sabbath 
school,  visiting  Zenanas  and  embracing  all  opportunities  to  lead 
souls  to  Christ.  She  has  acquired  the  use  of  two  of  the  lan¬ 
guages  of  India,  the  Hindi  and  Urdu,  and  thus  is  equipped  for 
evangelistic  work.  The  North  Carolina  Foreign  Mission  Board 
is  credited  with  $605  this  year  for  foreign  missions.  Individ¬ 
uals  in  the  Yearly  Meeting  support  at  least  four  children  in 
India. 

Wilmington  Yearly  Meeting  has  for  four  years  sup¬ 
ported  a  native  worker  in  the  Mexico  mission  of  Western 
Yearly  Meeting,  and  three  years  ago  sent  out  a  missionary  to 
the  Kotzebue  Sound  mission  of  California  Yearly  Meeting  and 
supports  her  there.  They  now  propose  to  take  for  their  chief 
work  a  station  in  Cuba  in  connection  with  the  American  Friends’ 
Board.  Their  receipts  this  year  for  foreign  missions  are  $1,192. 

Canada  Yearly  Meeting’s  Foreign  Mission  Board  has 
long  been  interested  in  Japan,  working  with  the  Philadelphia 
Board.  In  1899  they  assumed  the  support  of  the  station  of 
Mito,  and  sent  out  their  missionaries,  Gurney  and  Elizabeth  S. 
Binford,  who  are  very  industrious  workers.  Their  time  is 
much  occupied  with  Bible  classes  taught  in  their  own  house. 
This  work  is  largely  among  students.  Elizabeth  Binford  has 
mother’s  meetings,  cooking  classes  and  Bible  classes  for  women 
and  girls.  A  native  evangelist,  M.  Kato,  a  faithful  worker 
among  his  countrymen  for  man}'  years,  works  with  them.  The 
church  gathered  there  numbers  fifty-seven,  and  two  Sabbath 
schools,  two  hundred  and  eleven.  This  Yearly  Meeting  con¬ 
tributed  $1,128  this  year  for  foreign  missions. 

The  American  Friends’  Board  of  Foreign  Missions, 
organized  in  1894  under  provisions  made  in  the  Quinquennial 
Conference  of  1892,  continued  till  1900  to  discharge  its  func- 


24 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  American  Friends. 


Missionaries  in  Cuba. 

tions  as  a  bureau  of  information  and  a  medium  of  communica¬ 
tion  between  the  boards  of  other  denominations  and  Friends. 
In  1900,  with  the  authority  and  instructions  of  seven  Yearly 
Meetings,  it  made  preparations  to  take  up  also  field  work  in 
Cuba.  It  followed  the  plan  laid  down  in  the  uniform  discipline 
in  its  further  organization  for  this  class  of  work,  and  is  incor¬ 
porated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Indiana.  It  appointed 
an  agent,  through  whom  it  selected  a  location  in  the  north¬ 
eastern  part  of  Cuba,  a  region  destitute  of  missionaries  and  of 
the  gospel  ;  it  sent  out  four  missionaries  in  the  fall  of  1900  and 
has  sent  three  since,  making  seven  missionaries  in  Cuba  at  the 
present  time,  and  one  Cuban  evangelist  is  working  with  them. 
They  are  holding  two  stations  now — Gibara  and  Holguin  — 
and  some  other  preaching  places  with  church  and  school  and 
colportage  work  in  successful  operation.  A  third  station  at 
Banes,  the  headquarters  of  the  United  Fruit  Company,  has  the 
buildings  ready  for  occupancy  this  winter,  and  the  arrange¬ 
ments  are  made  in  part  for  building  at  Tanamo  Bay,  the  head¬ 
quarters  of  the  Cuba  Fruit  Company,  with  the  expectation  of 


Foreign  Afission  Work  oj  American  Friends.  25 

opening  a  mission  station  there  within  the  next  year.  The 
Board  has  had  four  buildings  erected,  two  homes  for  mission¬ 
aries  and  two  meeting-houses,  at  a  cost  of  over  $6,500,  includ¬ 
ing  cost  of  lot  at  Gibara.  The  work  at  Holguin  is  carried  on 
in  rented  property.  The  receipts  of  this  Board  from  appropria¬ 
tions  of  the  Yearly  Meetings  and  of  other  boards,  and  from 


Mission  Home,  Gibara,  Cuba. 


donations,  bequests  and  other  sources,  are  between  six  and 
seven,  thousand  dollars  this  year  ;  the  total  receipts  since  begin¬ 
ning  the  work  in  Cuba  are  about  $14,000.  All  the  American 
Yearly  Meetings,  except  Philadelphia  and  Canada,  have  fallen 
in  line  with  the  plan  of  the  Board  and  grant  it  appropriations 


26  Foreign  Mission  Work  of  A?nerican  Friends. 

for  the  expenses  of  administration,  etc.,  and  are  thus  virtually 
united  in  the  work. 

The  Friends’  Africa  Industrial  Mission,  for  which 
funds  have  been  solicited  in  most  of  the  Yearly  Meetings,  ob¬ 
tained  the  amount  deemed  necessary  to  make  a  start.  A  board 
was  organized  to  aid  in  carrying  on  its  work,  composed  of  two 
members  from  each  of  ten  of  the  American  Yearly  Meetings, 
and  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  It  sent 
out  its  three  pioneer  missionaries  last  Fourth  month.  After 


Edgar  T.  Hole.  Arthur  B.  Chilson. 

[First  Missionaries  of  the  F.  A.  I.  M.] 


reaching  the  region  in  which  they  expected  to  locate,  they 
spent  something  over  a  month  in  selecting  the  site  for  the 
mission,  and  at  length  settled  on  a  location  some  twenty  miles 
or  so  northeast  from  the  present  western  terminus  of  the  rail¬ 
road  from  Mombasa  on  the  east  coast,  in  British  East  Africa, 
near  lake  Victoria  Nyanza,  among  the  Kavirondo  people,  sup¬ 
posed  to  number  one  million,  an  unclothed  but  industrious 
tribe,  who  now  welcome  the  coming  of  the  missionaries.  The 
location  chosen  —  post  office  address,  Kisumu  —  is  considered 
healthful  and  very  satisfactory.  The  altitude  is  between  five 
and  six  thousand  feet,  on  the  banks  of  a  beautiful  river,  with 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  America?i  Frie?ids.  27 

waterfalls  close  by  that  can  be  utilized  for  power,  and  several 
springs  of  the  best  water  to  use  for  household  purposes.  A 
mile  square  has  been  selected  of  the  most  fertile  soil,  with 
excellent  timber  in  a  dense  forest  near  by.  Altogether  the 
prospects  are  very  encouraging.  This  year  $3,173  have  been 
contributed  for  this  work,  and  a  total  of  $8,724.78  have  been 
received  by  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board  during  the  time  that 
this  work  has  been  before  our  people. 


Our  Caravan  Crossing  the  Yala  River,  Africa. 


Elsewhere,  in  the  missions  of  other  denominations,  under 
the  Christian  Alliance,  under  independent  boards  or  independ¬ 
ent  of  any  board,  a  considerable  number  of  our  members  are 
working  in  foreign  fields. 

We  see  from  the  foregoing  sketch  that,  in  all  the  American 
Yearly  Meetings,  Friends  are  engaged  in  foreign  mission  work 
and  that  their  work  is  in  nine  widely  separated  countries.  The 
interest  is  deep  with  a  part  of  our  membership,  but  many  are 
not  awakened  on  the  subject.  The  aggregate  amount  of  con¬ 
tributions  reported  this  year  for  foreign  missions  is  $55,000,  a 
creditable  sum  do  we  think  for  a  church  of  less  than  one  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  members?  Yet  it  is  not  all  we  are  able  to  do  in 


28 


Foreign  Mission  Work  of  A nierican  Friends. 


fulfilling  the  great  mission  of  the  church.  Not  half  the  purses 
of  our  membership  were  reached  in  collecting  this  fund. 

These  problems  are  before  us  :  How  our  church  shall  come 
to  do  its  whole  duty,  its  full  obedience  to  our  Lord’s  command 
to  “  Disciple  all  nations”;  how  we  may  strengthen  the  long 
line  of  missions  we  have  laid  ;  how  we  may  guard  against 
future  unwarrantable  expansion  ;  how  we  may  gain  the  strength 
of  union  of  effort  without  weakening  the  sympathy  and  indi¬ 
vidual  interest  that  foster  our  missions  in  their  separate  state. 
May  the  Lord  teach  us  how  to  solve  them. 


*=o 


* 


Missionaries  of  American  Friends  and  Their  Location, 


New  England  Yearly  Meeting. 

Wilfred  Rowntree,  now  at  home  on  furlough  .  .  .  Ramallah,  Palestine 
Della  D.  Rowntree,  now  at  home  on  furlough  .  .  .  Ramallah,  Palestine 


Elihu  Grant,  Principal  of  Boys’  School . Ramallah,  Palestine 

Almy  Chace  Grant . .  .  Ramallah,  Palestine 


Philadelphia  Foreign  Mission  Board. 


Mary  Anne  Gundry . Tokio,  Japan 

Gilbert  Bowles . Tokio,  Japan 

Minnie  Pickett  Bowles . Tokio,  Japan 

Edith  Dillon . Tokio,  Japan 

Sarah  Ellis . Tokio,  Japan 


New  York  Yearly  Meeting. 

Nancy  L.  Lee,  Principal  of  Girls’  School . C.  Victoria,  Mexico  S 

Mary  L.  Pickett,  Teacher  of  Girls’  School . C.  Victoria,  Mexico 

Margaret  A.  Holme,  in  Mission  of  Ohio  Y.  M . Luh  Hoh,  China 


North  Carolina  Yearly  Meeting 

Annie  V.  Edgerton,  in  Mission  of  Ohio  Y.  M.  .  .  Nowgong,  India,  C.  P. 


Ohio  Yearly  Meeting. 

Esther  Butler,  at  home  on  furlough  ;  returns  soon  .  .  .  Nanking,  China 

Lenna  M.  Stanley  . Nanking,  China 

Lucy  A.  Gaynor,  M.  D . Nanking,  China 

Effie  Murray .  .  Nanking,  China 

Wilbur  A.  Estes . Nanking,  China 

Julia  B.  Estes . Nanking,  China 

George  F.  DeVol,  M.  D . Luh  Hoh,  China 

Isabella  F.  DeVol,  M.  D .  . Luh  Hoh,  China 

Delia  A.  Fistler  . Nowgong,  India,  C.  P. 

.  .  Nowgong,  India,  C.  P. 
.  .  Nowgong,  India,  C,  P. 
.....  Nanking,  China 
.....  Nanking,  China 


Esther  E.  Baird . 

Eliza  Frankland,  recently  gone  to  her  home 
Eva  A.  Pennington,  under  appointment  for 
Harriet  Shimer,  under  appointment  for  .  . 


Indiana  Yearly  Meeting. 

Francis  L.  Hockett . H. 

Rachel  Hockett . H. 

Lydia  E.  Pike,  Principal  of  Hussey  Institute  .  H. 
George  C.  Levering,  Principal  of  Boys’  School  .  .  . 

Emily  Levering . . 

Wm.  Irving  Kelsey,  under  appointment,  Gen.  Supt., 
Anna  T.  Kelsey,  under  appointment . 


Matamoros, 
Matamoros, 
Matamoros, 
C.  Victoria, 
C.  Victoria, 
C.  Victoria, 
C.  Victoria, 


Mexico 

Mexico 

Mexico 

Mexico 

Mexico 

Mexico 

Mexico 


Western  ( Ind .)  Yearly  Meeting. 

Eucario  M.  Sein . Matehuala,  Mexico 

Margaretta  M.  Sein . Matehuala,  Mexico 

B.  F.  Andrews,  M.  D . Cedral,  Mexico 

Bertha  E.  Andrews . Cedral,  Mexico 

Everett  E.  Morgan . .  Catorce  Real,  Mexico 

Clara  Morgan . Catorce  Real,  Mexico 

Sarah  A.  Lindley . Catorce  Real,  Mexico 

Emery  J.  Rees,  supported  by  Vermillion  Qr.  Mtg.,  Johannesburg,  S.  Africa 
Deborah  G.  Rees,  “  “  “  “  “  Johannesburg,  S.  Africa 

Oscar  Roberts,  self  supporting . Sekondi,  W.  Africa 


30  Missionaries  of  American  Friends  a?id  their  Location. 


Iowa  Yearly  Meeting. 


Arthur  H.  Swift,  Gen.  Supt.  Seaside, 
H.  Alma  Swift,  Seaside  Mission  .  . 
Alsina  M.  Andrews,  Matron  of  Girls 

School,  Seaside . 

Milton  Kenworthy,  Principal  of  Boys 

School,  Seaside . 

Neita  Kenwrorthy,  Matron  of  Boys 
School,  Seaside  .  ... 

Mary  J.  White,  Teacher,  Seaside 
Sadie  Stanley,  “  “ 

Albert  N.  Courtney,  “  “ 

Ola  C.  Courtney,  “  “ 

Leah  Terrell,  “  “ 

Gilbert  Farr,  Glen  Haven . 

Anna  M.  Farr,  Teacher,  Glen  Haven 


Hectors  River  P.  O. 
Hectors  River  P.  0. 


,  Jamaica,  W.  I. 
,  Jamaica,  W.  I. 


Hectors  River  P.  0.,  Jamaica, W.  I. 

i 

Hectors  River  P.  O.,  Jamaica, W.  I. 


Hectors  River  P.  0. 
Hectors  River  P.  O. 
Hectors  River  P.  O. 
Hectors  River  P.  O. 
Hectors  River  P.  0. 
Hectors  River  P.  O, 
.  Spring  Hill  P.  0. 
.  Spring  Hill  P.  0. 


,  Jamaica, W.  I. 
,  Jamaica,  W.  I. 
,  Jamaica, W.  I. 
,  Jamaica,  W.  I. 
,  Jamaica,  W.  I. 
,  Jamaica, W.  I. 
,  Jamaica, W.  I. 
,  Jamaica, W.  I. 


Kansas  Yearly  Meeting. 

El  wood  Weesner  . 

Samuel  A.  Jackson . 

Lula  Jackson  .  . 

Anna  Maria  Lawrence  . 

Mr.  Campbell . 


Douglas,  Alaska 
Douglas,  Alaska 
Douglas,  Alaska 
Douglas,  Alaska 
.  Takou,  Alaska 


Wilmington  Yearly  Meeting. 

Martha  E.  Hadley,  in  Mission  of  Cal.  Y.  M.  .  .  Kotzebue  Sound,  Alaska 

Oregon  Yearly  Meeting. 

. Kaak  Island,  Alaska 

. Kaak  Island,  Alaska 

. Kaak  Island,  Alaska 

California  Yearly  Meeting. 

Dana  H.  Thomas . Kotzebue  Sound,  Alaska 

Otha  C.  Thomas  . .  Kotzebue  Sound,  Alaska 


Silas  Moon  .  . 
Anna  Moon  .  . 
Minnie  Newby 


Canada  Yearly  Meeting. 


Gurney  Binford,  in  Philadelphia  Mission . Mito,  Japan 

Elizabeth  J.  S.  Binford,  in  Philadelphia  Mission . .  Mito,  Japan 

American  Friends'  Board. 

Sylvester  Jones . Gibara,  Cuba,  W.  I. 

May  M.  Jones . Gibara,  Cuba,  W.  I. 

Emma  Phillips . Gibara,  Cuba,  W.  I. 

Raymond  S.  Holding . Gibara,  Cuba,  W.  I. 

Charles  C.  Haworth  ...  Holguin,  Cuba,  W.  I. 

Orpha  R.  Haworth  . Holguin,  Cuba,  W.  I. 

Maria  de  los  Santos  Trevino . Holguin,  Cuba,  W.  I. 


Friends'  Africa  Industrial  Mission. 

Willis  R.  Hotchkiss,  Kavirondo  Country,  British  E.  Africa,  Kisumu  P.  O. 
Edgar  T.  Hole  .  .  .  Kavirondo  Country,  British  E.  Africa,  Kisumu  P.  O. 
Arthur  B.  Chilson  .  Kavirondo  Country,  British  E.  Africa,  Kisumu  P.  O. 


Mountain  Cottage  at  Ruling,  China. 

Mission  Home  at  Nanking.  Hospital. 

School  Building. 


Friends’  Meeting-house  in  Gibara,  Cuba.  Built  1902 


